Caren Osten shares her thoughts on travel, writing, and life balance in her Blog

Let’s Embark

While the definition of embark relates to boarding a vehicle, it also means to begin a course of action. As we go from moment to moment, day to day, year to year, new beginnings emerge as new phases, mindsets, commitments, relationships, and perspectives change and vary. This blog is a place to share my thoughts and insights on the various adventures and daily journeys on which I, and we, will embark.

Getting some Headspace In Flight

Air travel can be stressful, boring, anxiety-producing. Once in flight, there’s no way to escape – the surrounding confines of a packed aircraft and its poorly circulated air, the tension that comes with making a connection, the inevitable lost baggage syndrome....

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Walk into the Real “Downton Abbey”

Walk into the Real “Downton Abbey”

This January, the PBS hit series “Downton Abbey” begins it’s third season, and I can’t wait to see what happens to the Grantham family upstairs (will Lady Mary and Matthew make it to the altar?) and their Downton staff downstairs (does footman Bates’ murder...

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The (Mayan) Doomsday Ride on Two Wheels

The (Mayan) Doomsday Ride on Two Wheels

According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21, 2012. To mark the event, the Tour d’Afrique biking company has organized the first (and last?) ever Doomsday Ride on La Ruta Maya. The trip leaves San Jose (Costa Rica) on December 20th and will lead...

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On a Gîte in Southwestern France

On a Gîte in Southwestern France

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to stay on a gîte – the French word for a holiday vacation home, often on a farm or vineyard. When a colleague mentioned she knew someone who’d opened a gîte on a vineyard near France’s southwestern city of Carcassonne, I...

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Taking the “Om” on the Road

I used to pack a yoga mat nearly every time I traveled. I’d neatly roll up the rubbery sheet and press it atop my folded clothes, squeezing it in diagonally when necessary. Once at my destination, I’d place the mat in the corner of my room, unrolling it whenever I...

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Peru (part 2): The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu & Lima

Peru (part 2): The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu & Lima

After writing my first post about Peru, I was all excited to write the follow-up. The trip had been amazing, and there is much information to share. But something kept me from getting to it and I kept on re-adding it to my “to do” list without actually doing it. Keep...

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Peru (part 1): From Cusco to the The Sacred Valley

Peru (part 1): From Cusco to the The Sacred Valley

Clinging to the Andes, and resting between the Amazon rainforest and South America’s eastern coastline, Peru has so much culture, adventure, and a 5,000 year history – the trick is figuring out how much of the three elements will strike the ideal balance for each...

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Safari on the Sea: the Galapagos

In these islands we seem nearer to the great fact – the first appearance of life on earth. These words, written by Charles Darwin after he visited the Galapagos in 1835, only hint at the magic that lies in this cluster of islands. On a weeklong trip last year, my...

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Nosara, Costa Rica: Where the Turtles Meet the Monkeys

There’s something extraordinary about a Nosara sunset. It’s not just the beautiful light and color emanating from the darkening sky. It’s more – the surfers looking for that last wave before daylight slips away, the kids running in and out of the sea, the dogs playing...

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